Folding gate with shove bolt



NOV- 15, 1966 J. CATALANO 3,285,323

FOLDING GATE WITH SHOVE BOLT Filed May 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i 46' Y :v f/ [E i 46%- l l l l l l I '6,2

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FOLDING GATE WITH SHOVE BOLT Filed May 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .MAL

l Il 95 ya 110 m 10g/52% United States Patent O 3,285,323 FOLDING GATE WITH SIIOVE BOLT `loseph Catalano, 1218 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed May 14, 1964, Ser. No. 367,318 14 Claims. (Cl. 160-152) The present invention relates to a [folding gate with a shove bolt.

The invention has to do with a folding gate of a general character yheretofore known and which is adapted for use lin connection with various openings, such as doorways, windows, etc. In the case of a large expanse, such as a wide doorway, it is common practice to provide what is known in the trade as a shove bolt at an intermediate .point in the gate, which is driven into a socket in the ground, and when lthe gate is fully extended and secured to the opposite end of the doorway, the shove bolt provides `securement and solidity to lthe central poirtion of the folding gate. Usually, the gate is provided with a solid central portion, such as la rail or a pair of rails secured together, -on which to mount the shove bolt since the shove bolt cannot be effectively mounted on the mesh or web of the gate.

The shove bolts heretofore in use have been subject to a number of objections which are either directly vor indirectly attributed to the fact that such a shove b-olt is manually operated.

A principal object .of the present invention is to provide a folding gate with a shove :bolt which automatically locks in position pursuant to extending the .gate across the space which it is intended to span.

Another object is to provide a folding gate which is automatic in operation and for that reason results in a great saving in time in both extending and contracting the gate.

Another object is to provide a folding gate having an automatically operating shove bolt yof the character referred to above, which results in a saving in manufacture relative to gates with shove bolts as heretofore known, and with the further advantage `that the shove bollt of present invention does not require a lock for securing it in holding position and thereby the Ifolding gate requires fewer locks than folding gates heretofore known, and in the case of large gates, considerably fewer.

Still another object is to provide a folding .gate with automatically operating shove bolt in which the shove bolt is effectively entirely concealed in one embodiment of the invention, and in another embodiment eifectively concealed from one side which may ybe presented to the public.

Other Iobjects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a folding gate made according to the present invention, shown in contracted position, land in conjunction with a space which it is intended to span;

iFIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but with the `gate in an extended position;

FIGURE 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale, taken at line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front View of the rail construction at the intermediate portion of the gate in which the shove bolt is mounted, this view being tak-en at line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and being oriented according to FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 'is a View from the back side of FIGURE 4 taken at line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a top view of a rail and shove bolt construction of `another embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the structure of FIG- URE 6, taken at line 7 7 of that figure;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken at line 8-8 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 9 is a face view of a folding gate made according to the present invention in contracted position and in conjunction with a space which it is adapted to span, illustrating a modied mount-ing and ruse of the gate; and

FIGUR-E 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 9, but showing the gate in extended position .across the space to be spanned.

Referring now in detail to the yaccompanying drawings, attention -is now directed iirst to FIGUREES l and 2 `showing the folding gate of the invention applied t0 a structure having an opening or doorway which it is intended to span and close. The gate is indicated in its entirety at 18 and is shown mounted on a structure 20, which may be a building, having a doorway 22 dened by side frames 24 and 26 and a header 28. The ground or oor is indicated at 30 and a socket 32 is formed in the floor for receiving the shove bolt, as will be described hereinbelow, this socket in the present .instance being substantial-ly midway between the side limits of the doonway, i.e., at the point where the shove bolt will be located when the gate is extended.

The folding gate 18 may be mounted as by suspending it from an overhead track 34 which is preferable in the case of relatively large gates, but it may also be mounted for resting on the oor if so desired. stance, sets of rollers, indicated at 36, of known kind, are utilized for supporting the gate from the overhead track.

The folding gate 18, in the present instance, is made up of a pair of sections 18a and 18h, although the invention is applicable to gates made up of more than two sections. Each section has a mesh 38 which, in themselves, may be of known construction, including strips 40 pivoted together at junctures 42 and adapted for contraction and extension, the contracted position being shown in FIGURE 1 and the extended position in FIGURE 2.

The section 18a includes a rst rail 44 secured to the door frame 26 by suitable means, such as bolting, and a second rail 46 at its extended end. The section 18b includes a rail 48 connected to the rail 46 and another rail 50 at its opposite end.

The Astrips 40 of the mesh, as will be understood, approach the vertical as the gate is contracted, but move from the vertical 'to a substantial angle thereto as the gate is extended. As a result, the junctures 42 between the strips move vertically in the extending and contracting movements of the mesh, spreading apart vertically as the gate is contracted and moving closer together as the gate is extended. Generally, the mesh is connected with the rails at a plurality of vertically spaced points at the junctures 42 between the respective strips. Also, generally, one of the junctures is secured stationary to the rail, as indicated at 52, while other junctures are permitted to move vertically relative to the rail, and in the latter case, slots, such as 54 and 55, are provided. It will be noted that these slots are of relatively different lengths due to the fact that the upper junctures move vertically greater distances than the lower ones. In the larger gates, quite a number of junctures, such as seven or more, or eleven, junctures exist.

The vertical movement of the junctures of the strips of the mesh is utilized in the automatic operation of the shove bolt of the invention.

The rails 44, 46, 48 and 50 may be of various kinds, such as angles in FIGURES 1-5 and box channels in FIGURES 6-8. In the case of the angles of the rst embodiment of FIGURES 1-5, the rails are so positioned as to present the smooth sides to the exterior, as viewed by the observer in FIGURES 2 andv4.

In the present in-4 The shove bolt per se of the invention is indicated at 56 and is shown in detail in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. The two rails 46 and l48 may be secured together by any suitable means such, for example, as bolts 58, or rivets or hinges. In the present instance, these two rails are rigidly secured together, which may be done when the gate, when contracted, is to remain in a single plane, as in FIG- URE l, but in instances where space along the length of the doorway is at a minimum, it may be desired to fold the two sections 18a and 18h of the gate when there i-s opportunity for them to be so folded transverse to the plane of the doorway so as to occupy less space in the direction lof the doorway, and in that case these rails may be hinged together.

The shove bolt 56 includes a rod 60, preferably round, and of a length according to the desired amount of throw to be given to it, as explained hereinbelow. At the upper end of the rod is welded a plate 62 having an aperture receiving the rivet 64 which is utilized for pivoting the ends of the strips 40 forming the juncture 42 which is selected for so securing the shove bolt. In the present illustrated instance, the shove bolt is connected at the topmost juncture 42 and the rivet 64 thereof rides in the longest slot 55. The rod 60 of the shove bolt is received in and guided by a plurality of sleeves 66 welded to the adjacent flange of the rail. The lower end of Ithe rod 60 is projected into the socket 32 in the floor for locking the gate, and when raised and withdrawn from the socket, it is disposed adjacent the lower end of the rail.

In the use of the gate of the invention, and particularly in extending it to span the doorway, the section 18a is rst extended as by grasping the rail 46 and drawing on it. During this movement the section 18h remains contracted. After the section 18a is so extended, and to a position in which the shove bolt is in regi-ster with the socket 32, the user then extends the section 18b by drawing or pushing on the rail 50. The extension of the section 18b, and consequent movement toward each other of the junctures 42 between the strips of the mesh, move the shove bolt downwardly, since as noted above, the lowermost juncture is secured stationary to the rail and the upper juncturw tmust move vertically relative to the rail.

In the present instance, maximum throw of the shove bolt is attained by virtue of the fact that it is connected with the uppermost juncture 42, but if the throw of the shove bolt is to be less than that amount, it may be connected with any of the junctures 42 below the t-op one, with progressively less throw the lower the junction at which it is connected.

FIGURES 6-8 -show the invention applied to a different kind of rail than the angle rails shown in the foregoing embodiment. In the present embodiment, the rail 70 corresponds to the rail 48 above, in which the shove bolt is mounted. This `rail is secured to a companion rail 72 corresponding to the rail 46 above. The rails 70 and 72 are what is known in the trade as box channels with return legs. The rail includes a web 74, side flanges 76 and return legs 78. In the present instance, the shove bolt, indicated generally at 80, includes three main parts, amain segment 82 preferably in the form of a channel, an upper plate 84 by which the shove bolt is mounted to the mesh of the gate, and a lowermost rod 86 which enters into the socket 32 in the floor.

- In the present instance, as in the first embodiment, one of the junctures 42, identified at 42a and preferably the lower such junction, is xed stationary to the rail as by means of the rivet 52 referred to above, which extends through both of the side anges 76. In the case of a high gate, the number of junctures 42 is relatively large, and only selected ones of them are given bearing support in the rail, as in the above embodiment. In the present instance, a relatively large gate is assumed and two of these junctures, in addition to the stationary juncture, are given bearing support, here identitied as 42b and 42e. In both of these junctures, rivets 88 and 90 respectively are utilized, these rivets serving as axles for mounting Wheels 91 and 92 provided for the bearing support mentioned. These wheels are disposed axially outwardly of the corresponding strips 40 and ride in grooves 94 provided by the return legs 78.

The plate 84 at the top of the shove bolt is secured to the channel member as by welding, and is provided with an aperture receiving the rivet or axle and disposed between the corresponding strips 40 of the mesh. This plate serves to mount the shove bolt on the mesh and provides an additional function of spacing the strips 40 on opposite sides thereof. The point of securement between the plate 84 and the channel member 82 is on the web of the channel member, the plate extending perpendicular from that web. The channel member 82 terminates upwardly below the wheels, the plate 84 being of appropriate length for that purpose.

The lower wheels 91 are mounted in the manner described above in connection with the wheels 92, but the mesh at this point is free of connection of the shove bolt. The rivet 88, which serves as the axle for the wheels 91, and the lowermost rivet 52 are spaced from the web 74 of the rail suiciently to provide clearance for the channel member 82 and limit the movement of the shove bolt in that direction. Channel 80 is suflicient-ly narrow so that its ange elements t between the wheels of each pair.

The rod 86 at the lower end of the shove bolt is preferably round, as indicated, and is secured to the channel element 80, as by Welding. This rod 86 is of appropriate length and so positioned that in the uppermost position of the shove bolt it is below the lowermost rivet 52 and the lower end may be entirely concealed, or nearly so, in the lower end of the rail 70.

The operation of the shove bolt 80 in the present embodiment is the same as that described above in connection with the first embodiment, and in the present instancey is substantially entirely concealed, being visible to an observer only in the space between the lower end of the rail and the floor, which, in many instances, is very small or non-existent, and through the space between the opposed return legs 78 which is not presented to a casual observer.

It will be noted that therivets 88 and 90 forming the axles for the Wheels do'not project through the sides of the box channel, the wheels 91 and 92 moving the respective amounts relative to the rail according to the movements of the junctures 42h and 42C.

FIGURES 9 and 10 show an additional adaptation of the invention. This embodiment of the invention utilizes the shove bolt for securing the xed end of the gate, i.e., it is not necessary to secure that end to the door frame. In this instance, the gate 18 is illustrated as including three sections 18a, 18b and 18e, although it may be made up of a greater number of sections, mounted for closing a doorway 95 in a building 96. The doorway 9S is deiined at one end by a door frame 98 and at the other end by a wall member which is of substantial length, having one marginal edge 102 defining the edge of the doorway opposite the frame 98 and an outside limit 104, this wall element 100 being of substantial extent so that the gate 18 when contracted may lie thereover clear of the doorway itself.

The gate 18 is presumed to be of substantial size and weight, and therefore is supported upon an overhead track 106 in the usual way, such as by means of rollers of known kind similar to the rollers 36 referred to above, the overhead track extending to the extremity 104 of the wall member 100 to accommodate movement of the gate over the wall member. The end rail 106 in the present instance, which corresponds with the rail 44 in the rst embodiment, is detached from the door frame or wall at the edge 102 thereof, and when it is desired to extend the gate, the gate in its entirety is moved along the track until the shove bolt 108a in the rst section 18a is in register with the socket 110a in the doorway. Then the movement of the gate is stopped, and the user pushes forward on the next rail 112 which corresponds with the rail 46 above, and pushes the two sections 18h and 18C further in cl-osing direction. This causes the shove bolt 108:1 to lower and enter into the socket ln. A relatively small amount of extension of the section 18a moves the shove bolt the desired amount to enter the socket in holding position, and when it so enters into the socket he may then release the rail 106 and continue pushing on the rail 112 until the next shove bolt 108b in the section 18b is in register with the next socket 110b. The foregoing steps are then repeated until the extreme leading end of the entire gate butts against the door frame 98 where it is locked in the usual manner yby a padlock. The present embodiment exemplifies the elimination of securing the rail 106 to the door structure, enabling the entire gate to be moved beyond the doorway, and leaving the entire doorway clear.

While several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described herein, it is to be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A folding gate of the character disclosed for use in spanning a doorway having a first and second defining side member, said folding gate including a plurality of sections 1secured together, each section including mesh made up of strips pivoted together, means for securing an inner end of a first of such sections to said rst side member of the doorway in position for extension of that first section and outward movement of the second section, rail means between the sections, a shove bolt mounted in said rail means for vertical reciprocation therein, and means connecting said shove bolt to said folding gate being operative in response to extension of the second section of the gate for lowering the shove bolt and operative upon contraction thereof for raising the shove bolt, the shove bolt being so reciprocable between an upper limit in which its lower end is adjacent the lower end of the rail means and a lower limit -in which it extends appreciably below the rail means.

2. The invention set out in claim 1 wherein :the shove bolt is connected with one of the junctures of the strips making up the mesh of the second section, and another of the junctures is stationarily pivoted .to the rail means, and guide means is secured to the rail means for guiding the shove bolt in its reciprocable movements.

3. The invention set out in claim 2 wherein the juncture of the mesh strips that is fixed stationary to the rail means is below the juncture of the mesh strips with the shove bolt.

4. The invention set out in claim 14 wherein said shove bolt includes an elongated rod and a plate element secured to the upper end of the rod, said plate element having an aperture, and pivot means is provided extending through said aperture, through apertures in the mesh strips forming the juncture, and through said slot in the rail, and additional guide means for the rod of the shove bolt is provided and includes sleeve means secured to the rail means and slidably receiving the rod.

5. The invention set out in claim 1 in which each gate section includes a rail at each end, and those rails at the extended end of the rst section and the rst end of the second section are secured together for movement conjointly in the extension and contraction movements of the gate.

6. The invention set out in claim 1 in which wheel means is incorporated in the juncture of the mesh strips to which the shove bolt is connected, and this wheel means has guiding engagement with elements of the rail means.

7. The invention set out in claim 6 in which the rail means includes a box channel with return legs, said legs defining grooves in which said wheel means is guided.

8. The invention set out in claim 7 wherein the shove bolt includes an elongated member with a plate element secured at its upper end, said plate element is provided with an aperture, and the wheel means includes an axle element which extends through said aperture in the plate element and apertures Iin the respective mesh strips.

9. The invention set out in claim 1 in which the rail means includes a box channel with side flanges and return legs, wheel means is provided connected 'with at least certain of the junctures of the mesh strips, the shove bolt is connected with a juncture which includes the wheel means, and rivet means is provided for stationarily securing another of the junctures of the mesh strips below the wheel means, said rivet means extending through the side anges of the box rail yand serving as guide means for the shove bolt.

10. The invention set out in claim 8 wherein the elongated member of the shove bolt is in the form of a channel, said plate secured adjacent the upper end thereof and positioned substantially perpendicular to the web portion of the channel, and a lower element in the form of a round rod is secured to the lower end of the channel, said lower element being projectable below the lower end of the rail means adapted Afor insertion into a socket into the oor.

11. The invention set out in claim 1 wherein said rail means includes a channel member having an open side receiving the ends of the mesh strips, and the shove bolt is entirely concealed within the channel except with respect to said open side and the lower end of the channel when the shove bolt projects therebelow.

12. Folding gate for use with a doorway in a structure defining a doorway having a rst edge and a far edge, and defining a void area beyond the `doorway in direction of extension of the plane of the doorway, means in the structure supporting the gate for movement across the doorway and into an inactive position in said area, the gate being dimensioned for spanning the doorway when in extended position and for ycontainment within said area when in contracted position, the gate having a first securing end, a shove bolt mounted in the gate means at said rst securing end and the floor on which 4the structure is mounted having a socket adjacent said first edge of lthe doorway, said gate being movable in contracted position from its position overlying said area into said doorway to 1a position in which said shove bolt is in register with said socket, and the gate means being extendable when in such position, and means interconnecting the mesh of the gate with said shove bolt operative in response to extension of the gate when in said position for lowering the shove bolt into the socket, and the gate means being extendable entirely across the doorway and the extended end of the gate means when in extended position being adapted for securement to the structure at said far edge of the doorway.

13. The invention set out in claim 12 in which the gate includes a plurality of sections each having a mesh, the gate also includes a rail means at its said first end, and rail means between each two adjacent sections, and the oor on which the structure is mounted is provided with a plurality of said sockets spaced therealong in the doorway, shove bolt means is provided in each of said rail means, and means is provided interconnecting each said shove bolt with the mesh of Ithe `corresponding sec- Ition, and means is operative in response to extension of the mesh of each section for moving the corresponding shove bolt downwardly into a corresponding socket, said sockets being spaced along said doorway according to the dimensions of the sections of Ithe gate when the gate is extended to the degree necessary for the whole gate to expand said doorway.

14. The invention set out in claim 1 wherein the shove bolt is connected with one of the junctures of the strips 7 8 making up the mesh of the second section, and another 1,907,021 5/ 1933 Vansant 160--159 X of -the junctures is stationarily pivoted to the rail means, 2,566,894 9/1951 Kaczmarek 248-277 X and guide means is secured to the rail means for guiding 2,874,771 2/1959 Muhl 160-172 X the shove bolt in its reciprocable movements, the guide FOREIGN PATENTS means includes a slot in the rail means and sliding en- 5 gagement therewith by the juncture to which the shove lelgr'ly bolt 1S Connected- 329,061 8/1935 Italy.

1,266,557 6/1961 France. References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 HARRISON R. MOSLEY, Przmary Examzner.

786,841 1 /1905 Recond 160 159 X REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. 951,643 3/ 1910 Hughes et al. 160-159 X P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FOLDING GATE OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED FOR USE IN SPANNING A DOORWAY HAVING A FIRST AND SECOND DEFINING SIDE MEMBER, SAID FOLDING GATE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS SECURED TOGETHER, EACH SECTION INCLUDING MESH MADE UP OF STRIPS PIVOTED TOGETHER, MEANS FOR SECURING AN INNER END OF A FIRST OF SUCH SECTIONS TO SAID FIRST SIDE MEMBER OF THE DOORWAY IN POSITION FOR EXTENSION OF THAT FIRST SECTION AND OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SECOND SECTION, RAIL MEANS BETWEEN THE SECTIONS, A SHOVE BOLT MOUNTED IN SAID RAIL MEANS FOR VERTICAL RECIPROCATION THEREIN, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID SHOVE BOLT TO SAID FOLDING GATE BEING OPERATIVE TO RESPONSE TO EXTENSION OF THE SECOND SECTION OF THE GATE FOR LOWERING THE SHOVE BOLT AND OPERATIVE UPON CONTRACTION THEREOF FOR RAISING THE SHOVE BOLT, THE SHOVE BOLT BEING SO RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN AN UPPER LIMIT IN WHICH ITS LOWER END IS ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE RAIL MEANS AND A LOWER LIMIT IN WHICH IT EXTENDS APPRECIABLY BELOW THE RAIL MEANS. 